You will need:
- 200g fresh cranberries
- 2 clementines
- 6Ts Port or red wine if you don’t have
- 100g caster or light muscovado sugar
- 1/2tsp ground cloves
- 1/2tsp cinamon
- pinch of nutmeg
Add the cranberries, port, sugar and juice of one clementine to a small pan and boil on medium for 10 minutes, stirring often. The cranberries should pop, then the mixture will start to thicken. Add the spices and continue to cook until the desired consistancy - I like mine quite thick. Peel and segment the second clementine, taking off the membrane if you can be bothered, then add to the mixture about 3 minutes before you think it will be done, so there are still chunks of clementine.
Transfer into a jar and serve with your Christmas dinner :)
Ok I know this isn’t really much like actual paté, but come on - thats a good thing! This stuff works great as an alternative when everyone you know has moved on to cheese and crackers on Christmas day, and you’re all out of whatever crappy fake cheese you have convinced yourself you can bear. Also, its super easy to make, cheap and tasty.
- Drain and boil one can of chickpeas for 5 minutes on high, until al denté. Chuck in your food processor and pulse a few times to get them chopped up, but still chunky.
- Slice half a really small onion or a shallot, and fry in some olive oil with your desired amount of garlic - I used one clove, but that may be too much for some people because you could really taste it. Cook until glassy, then add to the blender.
- Add 1Ts tomato paste, and splash of soya sauce and lemon juice, then any herbs and spices you desire. I used a shake of paprika, ground coriander, and italian herbs mix. I also spooned in half a tsp marmite, for some extra flavour.
- Pulse until combined, but not completely smooth - you may have to scrape dow the sides a few times, then taste and adjust the flavours, season with salt and pepper and transfer into a container.
Enjoy on crackers, as a sandwich filler, or just chucked on a salad :)
Miso, Pea and Noodle Soup for One
with Ginger Roasted Forest Nuts
For when you have absolutely no fresh food in the house, like me right now! Honestly, all there is in my friedge is two stellas, a block of tofu and tomato paste.
- 1 sachet instant miso soup disolved in
- 100g wholewheat dried noodles, boiled for 5-10 minutes
- a handful of nuts chucked in a pan on medium for 5 minutes with a splash of soya sauce, lemon juice, a few chilli flakes and 1tsp ginger powder or the sort you get in a jar, preserved in vinegar.
- half a cup of frozen peas, boiled for 5 minutes
- if I had fresh coriander, i’d chuck that in, but I guess it would defeat the point of the meal, so never mind!
Stick it all in a bowl and slurp with chopsticks!
Vegan Bolognese (serves 3)
Ingredients:
1 pack soya mince (Sainsburies do their own brand)
1 tin passata
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
5 fresh tomatoes
half jar sundried tomatoes
handful mushrooms
1 green pepper
1 red onion
half bag spinach
1 clove garlic
2Ts dried mixed herbs
lemon juice
salt and pepper
Method:
Sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the mince and cook for 5 more. Pour on the passata and chopped tomatoes and mix thoroughly.
Chop up the tomatoes mushrooms and peppers, and add to the mince. Add a splash of lemon juice, salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the spinach. Serve with pasta, or if you’re lazy - bread.
I’ve been wanting to make this for aaaaaages, and though its fiddly, its worth it! This is my basic vegan sponge recipe, minus the baking powder - you don’t want it to rise too much.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup soya milk
1tsp apple cider vinegar
1tsp vanilla essence
margarine for greasing
red and yellow natural food colouring
seedless raspberry jam
1/2 block shop bought marzipan
You will also need baking parchment paper and a 20-25cm square baking tin
Method:
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4.
- Mix the milk and vinegar in a mug and leave to one side. Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, then add the oil, vanilla and milk, mixing thoroughly.
- Split the mixture evenly, then the colour, a few drops at a time to each, until brightly coloured.
- Grease the tin with margarine, then cut a rectangle of paper, the width of one of the sides, but a little longer in length. Make 3 folds across it to create a divide in the middle, to keep the two different mixtures separate.
- Pour the batter into each side, then bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool thoroughly, and while you are waiting, roll out the marzipan, using icing sugar to stop it sticking to the worksurface. Make sure it is 3 or 4mm thick. if you roll it too thin, it will go soggy with the jam.
- Cut the cakes into long square ended cuboids, but don’t worry too much about the ends - you can neaten them up later. Stick together with a little raspberry jam, then the outside, so that the marzipan will stay on. Cut out a rectangle of marzipan that is the length of the sponge, but longer in the other direction. Roll the sponges on it, trying to keep it neat, and cut to make a seam on a bottom corner.
- Neaten up the ends with a bread knife and dust with icing sugar.
EAT.
Risotto Stuffed Pepper Lanterns (serves 4)
Its halloween!
Ingredients:
4 orange bell peppers
300g risotto rice
1litre boiled water + 2 stock cubes
half tin coconut milk
1Ts non-dairy spread
1 red onion
1 carrot
a small courgette
head of broccoli
a handful of mushrooms
2Ts dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper
Method:
- Carve the peppers as desired, then place on a baking sheet in the oven on gas mark 6, for 20 minutes. They need to be cooked enough to not taste raw, but not so much they collapse.
- Chop up all of the veg into quite small chunks. Fry the onion in a little olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the rice and stir thoroughly for 3 minutes.
- Heat up the stock in a separate pan and add a ladleful to the rice, stirring until absorbed. Repeat this many times, until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still has a bite. Add the herbs and some salt and pepper.
- Add the vegetables, and the coconut milk, stirring until well combines and absorbed. Leave to simmer with the lid on for 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables have cooked the desired amount - I like mine still crunchy.
- Spoon the risotto into the peppers and serve. You could give the assembled peppers another roast, but I didn’t think it was needed.
Munch. Oh, and thats a linda mccartney vegan sausage in the background.
Creamy Butternut Squash, Red Onion and Thyme Coconut Soup
(serves 4)
Easy, satisfying and perfect for the recent onset of autumn.
1 large squash (any would work, even pumpkin)
2-3 big sweet potatoes
one medium red onion
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper
Peel the veg, cut into 1 inch chunks and roast for an hour on a high heat with the thyme, salt, pepper and plenty of olive oil.
Fry the onion in a large pan on low-med heat, until starting to caramalise. Add the roasted squash and sweet potato with the stock, use a handheld blender to whizz until chunky, then stir in the coconut milk and season to taste.
Serve with granary bread and eat in bed.
Toasted Almond, Red Onion and Balsamic Vinegar, Wild Rice Salad (serves 4)
- 1 1/3 cup red and wild rice mix
- 2/3 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup bulgar wheat
- handful of raw almonds
- a small red onion
- 1 tin chickpeas
- 1 avocado
- 2 tomatoes
- half a yellow bell pepper
- a splash of balsamic vinegar
- a glug of olive oil
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper
Boil the rice on high heat, in plenty of water for 5 minutes, then add the bulgar, turn down to medium and continue to heat for 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked but still firm. Add in the chickpeas and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour into a sieve and wash thoroughly under the cold water. Place the sieve over a pan/bowl and leave to one side to drain.
Cut the onion into half rings, and fry on low, in a little olive oil. When it begins to caramelise, add in the almonds, chopped up pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Toast and crisp up.
Chop the tomatoes and avocado and combine with the rice and onion mixtures. Season with more balsamic vinegar, the lemon juice, a little oil and salt and pepper. Garnish with flax seeds and serve cold on a bed of spinach if desired.
